La Mamounia is an ultra-private escape, where the finest Moroccan craftsmanship and traditional style and materials have been used to dramatic and thrilling effect. And the suites have a luxurious tranquility, calm and elegance seldom seen.

He opens the silken curtains and I emerge from the enveloping darkness of my suite onto the terrace and the full force of the Moroccan day, the sun exploding from flickering palm trees. In the distance, a light dusting of snow is visible along the peaks of the Atlas Mountains.

Come with me for an inspiring visit.

In 1922, the French architects Henri Prost and Antoine Marchisio created a hotel that would combine traditional Moroccan themes with a light touch of Art Deco.

Their concept reflected the sense of disorientation that the foreign traveler, with an imagination already filled with Moroccan literature and exotic dreams hoped to find in this place, commented writer Khireddine Mourad.

And today, still, La Mamounia has a mysterious, glamorous and highly seductive air, the ideal sense of ‘otherness’ that I want when I travel.

"There is a hushed feeling in the air in Morocco, as if the quiet were a conscious force, which, resenting the intrusion of sound minimizes and disperses sound straightaway. Then there is the sky, compared to which all other skies seem fainthearted efforts. Solid and luminous, it is always the focal point of the landscape. At sunset, the precise, curved shadow of the earth rises into it swiftly from the horizon, cutting into light section and dark section. When all daylight is gone, and the space is thick with stars, it is still of an intense and burning blue, darkest directly overhead and paling toward the earth, so that the night never really goes dark."—Paul Bowles ‘Their Heads are Green and Their Faces are Blue.’

Morocco: it is the next great place to visit. In particular Marrakech.

I’ve always wanted to return, after an all-too brief visit to Casablanca some time ago.

This visit I circled through Essaouira on the coast and the divine L’Heure Bleue Palais hotel—and then arrived in captivating Marrakech. There I was fortunate indeed to set down my bags at La Mamounia.

Imagine suites with double terraces high above a twenty-acre palm garden, with views of historic mosques silhouetted against the legendary Atlas Mountains.

Here, I retire to a luscious sitting room and suite with hand-painted cedar doors, honed white marble bathrooms, exclusive perfumes and soaps and lotions by Olivia Giacobetti (one of my favorite modern perfumers, based in Paris), lavish Moroccan tiles patterning the wainscot, and flickering lights from Moroccan lanterns.

All is calm, private, ethereal, fragrant and truly luxurious.

Interesting: Jacques Garcia’s concept in his recent remodel/update was to take it back in time to a more romantic era, the mysterious Moroccan past, idealized, French influenced, and entirely captivating.

“It was aboard an Air France Caravelle that we arrived in Marrakech in February 1966, Yves and I. Of course, we stayed at La Mamounia, which was at the time full of an almost old-fashion atmosphere of the past. We were welcomed to this palace by Camille, the concierge. In 1966, memories at La Mamounia were vibrant, the rooms and suites simple, comfortable, and not trying to impress. That for us has always been true luxury.”— Pierre Berge, in his privately published ‘Yves Saint Laurent, A Moroccan Passion’ November 2010. Translated from the French.

A Little History of La Mamounia The hotel was built in the Moroccan style—stucco walls, tiled roof, terraces and 20-acres of garden—in 1923.

From the beginning of its story, La Mamounia has never been large enough to satisfy all the guests who wanted to be accommodated. Until the end of thirties, the hotel had only fifty rooms. But it was expanded in 1946 to include 100 rooms, then refurbished successively in 1950, 1953, 1986 and finally a reopening with 210 keys in 2010.

Many famous people have visited La Mamounia. Winston Churchill stayed through many winters. He liked to wander along the balcony, following the sun on its daily route in order to render the color of his paintings as realistic as possible. Several of his paintings of La Mamounia’s gardens hang in the Churchill museum in England.

“It is the most lovely spot in the whole world”, said Winston Churchill to Franklin D. Roosevelt about Marrakech in 1943. Churchill made his remark while he gazed at one of the beautiful sunsets for which the city is famous. Another anecdote from La Mamounia’s rich archive (I found it in the hotel library) involves General Charles de Gaulle who also spent a night in the hotel during the same period. The director of the hotel was obliged to have a special bed made to accommodate the statesman’s full height.

Over the years La Mamounia has attracted the attention of both French and American filmmakers. Jean Tissier filmed “Alerte au Sud” with Eric Von Stroheim in 1953. Hitchcock’s film, “The man who knew too much” was also filmed there.

There are so many discreet entrances and exits to the hotel that it is possible to stay there without anyone catching on.

I highly recommend arriving early, then sipping tea in the palm gardens, reading on a private terrace, lunch beside the pool, perhaps making a little excursion to the delightful Majorelle Garden, then returning for a drink of chilled Cox’s Orange apple juice or nectar of peach juice in the bar.

A swim, a spa treatment, and definitely dinner at Les Marocains restaurant at the hotel…to the sound of Andalusian music played on traditional lutes. Dinner to the sound of a lute! Well, four lutes. I cannot think of anything more wonderful.

I walked to the restaurant for dinner late one evening in the rain. I hear the sounds of Andalusian lute music floating down from Les Marocains.

Raindrops splashed loudly on banana palm leaves high above. The air was fragrant with jasmine, gardenia, damp grass and palm leaves, a drift of smoke, and moist earth. I float into a fugue state, altered consciousness.

Later, I sit for hours on my terrace, listening to the distant sounds of the Medina, watching shadows moving across the garden, thinking of painters like Matisse who have been beguiled by this mysterious ‘otherness’.

I can’t wait to return.

Matisse in Morocco, 1910 Some of the most beautiful images Matisse painted were his creations during a winter in Morocco at the turn of the century.

Morocco’s vivid colors, exotic costumes and handsome people would inspire him for the rest of his life. Now, over a century later, ghosts of Matisse would appear—as I was walking through the souk in Marrakech or exploring the Medina. Today, still, Moroccans still dress in the traditional costumes Matisse so loved.

Books on Morocco and La MamouniaMy dear friend Jean Larette gave me ‘La Mamounia’ a lavishly illustrated book on the hotel (published by Assouline), with an introduction by Laure Verchere. Highly recommended.

A travel book and research source that is highly detailed and rich with beautiful writing is ‘Morocco, An Inspired Anthology and Travel Source’. It is part of The Collected Traveler series by the great Barry Kerper (a former book editor of mine).

Monday, February 20, 2012

The great and talented Mrs. Howard’s glamorous and inspiring new book, ‘The Joy of Decorating, Southern Style with Mrs. Howard’ celebrates the beauty of Southern style and a gracious approach to living.

Written in collaboration with the great expert on Southern regional style and design, Susan Sully, the book is both style inspiration and an authoritative guide.

These are all descriptions that have been used to describe Mrs. Howard’s work. They illustrate the many different ways she strives to make her houses look and feel.

The book epitomizes the grace and elegance of Southern interior design. After reading it with Mrs. Howard as a trusted guide, I think I’m getting a glimpse of why Southern style and décor are so compelling.

‘Simplicity is the essence of tranquility.’—Mrs. Howard

Special offer to the readers of The Style Saloniste:

Through a special agreement with Mrs. Howard, my readers can get the book for 20 percent off: You pay $40 instead of $50.

To purchase a signed copy of the book directly from Mrs. Howard, please use the following discount code below when purchasing from the site www.phoebehoward.net. Click on ‘buy the book’.

The discount code is TSSJOD

When you go to the Phoebe Howard website, check on ‘buy the book’, click on ‘discount,’ add the code (TSSJOD), and then be sure to hit ‘update’ to the right of the code box.

With each book purchased through Phoebe Howard readers will also receive an elegant free paint chart, which lists 15 of Phoebe’s favorite paint combinations of wall, trim and ceiling colors. It is truly inspiring.

The colors are subtle, surprising, versatile and seductive. This special chart will provide inspiration for years of painting (and is a reason to purchase the book).

Included in the 257 page book is a resource list, and highly inspiring chapters on dining rooms, paint colors, casual rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms (delicious) and the cream of the crop of Mrs. Howard’s decorating.

Phoebe Howard with her husband and collaborator, Jim Howard.

"To walk into a Phoebe Howard room is to walk into a calm, elegant world that is naturally comfortable. Phoebe’s rooms take the edge off life.Two years ago House Beautiful asked Phoebe and her husband Jim to design an apartment in New York for our show house project called Hearst Designer Visions. On the 50-something floor of a Mid-town building, it was like living inside a cloud. An apartment at that height can be unnerving, but this one was calm and soothing. Phoebe's rooms take the edge off life." — Newell Turner, Editor-in-Chief, House Beautiful

Come with me for a private and exclusive STYLE SALONISTE chat with Phoebe Howard. I recently sat down for a conversation with Phoebe. Pour yourself a glass of wine or make a cup of tea, and join us for our tete-a-tete.

DDS: Phoebe, congratulations on your new book, your first book! It is so fresh and wonderfully inspiring. It's beautiful. I adore your quotes like, ‘I try to imagine dining rooms in full swing, candles burning, music playing, glasses tinkling, people laughing and enjoying time together.” You must have enjoyed working on your book.

PH: Thanks! I really did enjoy the process. Doug Turshen, the book's designer, has a great eye and made it so easy for me. Also, Susan Sully, who wrote the text, is very talented and easy to work with. The hard part was editing my photography. I would have liked to have included some other images. I am already thinking about another book. It is kind of like a pregnancy — hard when you are going through it, but when you have the baby, you somehow forget about all the pain!

DDS: There are such a variety of interiors all over the East Coast—but they have a consistent beautifully edited look and a clarity that is rare in design today. They're restrained, superbly edited, crisp, fresh, and calm.

PH: Thank you, Diane. I know that I bring a sense of order to my rooms. I simply don't like clutter or chaos, and I always try to inject some personality from my clients into my projects. That is always my goal. I think the fact that I am untrained formally in design gives my rooms a natural feeling, and I think some decorators simply try too hard or get too tricky. I am practical, and it is important to me that my rooms really function for their intended purpose as well as be beautiful.

DDS: This is Southern without the heavy-handed clichés. You believe that the best gift you can give yourself is a pocket of tranquility in a busy life.

PH: Southern people care about their interiors more than any other region of this country, in my opinion. We have all been raised to give our homes priority, and that they should always feel gracious and welcoming. It is just part of our genetic makeup, something you can't fight!

DDS: You work on every project with your husband Jim. It is definitely the interior architecture of Jim—who gets the interiors right first and then you can decorate. He understands proportion and balance and harmony—that are essential to any interior no matter the location or architecture.

PH: Jim and I do not work on every project together, but on a select few each year. We do design the stores together, and he does the architectural shell, while I decorate them and merchandise them. It is very hard to decorate a room with no architectural integrity. Jim and I are very lucky that we have complementary skills, and it is a business model that works for us. We are actually going to build a new house for ourselves sometime in the near future. We have never lived in a new house, always renovated older houses. We are both very excited and looking forward to designing and building this house.

We were recently working on our house in Jacksonville together. Jim suggested that we should use high-gloss lacquer on the ceiling, which has a beautiful crown molding. By capturing and reflecting the light, the glossy paint seems to lift the eight-foot ceiling high above the room. It adds a glow, an extra dimension. So our collaboration enhances our work enormously.

DDS: Your forte is rich neutrals, don't you think? It's never a simple white! It's never just plain beige. The background you create with these complex neutrals gives your room a very harmonious feeling.

PH: It is true. I love neutrals for myself personally. I like to say that I am married to beige, and I have affairs with color! I have learned to embrace color, and I am definitely not afraid of it. It is actually a lot harder for me to decorate a neutral space, because the subtle nuances have a strong impact. I also think that in a neutral room, you really need good architecture, good antiques, and art.

Color is something that I think can disguise a lot of flaws. My clients usually fall into two groups, those who love color, and those that don't. There is rarely much crossover.

DDS: I live in California and love it. But the moment I read the expression 'Southern Style' I want to get on a plane. I think it is the rich history implied in those old mahogany beds and the dark wood furniture that suggests plantations and centuries of old families.

But you do it with a light hand.

PH: Come on down, not only would you see some lovely places, but we would make sure you have a good time as well! We love to entertain and love any excuse for a party. And one thing is for sure: there are lots of interesting characters so you will never be bored. The South is a very interesting, layered and complex place. We might talk slow, but we are anything but!

DDS: Phoebe, thank you so much. Wonderful to chat.

About Mrs. Howard Fourteen years ago, Phoebe and Jim Howard opened the doors to their first store, Mrs. Howard, in Jacksonville, Florida, hoping to demystify the decorating process for their customers. The goal was simple: to create a retail space that showcased Jim's architectural and decorating talent, and Phoebe's natural skills for buying, decorating and merchandising. With equal parts of exceptional customer service and a well-rounded mix of furniture, antiques and accessories, the store was an instant success. Five years later, they added another store, Max & Company, which features a younger, more modern appeal. Now, the Howards have Mrs. Howard and Max & Company stores in Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Florida, Charlotte, North Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia.

Over the years, Phoebe Howard's penchant for creating stylish spaces has evolved into her own brand of decorating, which has garnered praise from national media as well as her clients. Known for her fresh take on traditional style, Phoebe's work can only be characterized by its timelessness and her mantra to "keep it pretty." While she is recognized as one of the foremost authorities on Southern style, Phoebe is well regarded for her business acumen as well, catering to both homeowners as well as other members of the design community (including decorators, interior designers and architects) who have embraced the Mrs. Howard aesthetic for their own clients. Through her shops, she was one of the first entrepreneurs in Florida to introduce unique domestic and international lines to the area. And today, she continues to scour the globe for new products for her stores and clients, as well as create her own exclusive line of pillows, lamps, mirrors and case goods.

The Mrs. Howard and Max & Company shops, as well as Phoebe's own decorating projects, are a veritable library of design inspiration, and have been published in Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Coastal Living, Cottage Living, Southern Accents, InStyle and Traditional Home, among others.

Welcome to The Style Saloniste

I founded THE STYLE SALONISTE as an online style magazine in Summer 2009. I focus on and writein-depth and exclusive stories and interviews. In weekly features, I present insight into creative interior designers and architects around the world, global style, the world heritage of art and culture, decorative arts, and traveling with passion and fearless enquiry.

DIANE DORRANS SAEKS

DESIGN

The Style Saloniste Design and Art Direction by Brian Dittmar

Announcing my newest book, 'Jean-Louis Deniot Interiors'

This is the first monograph about the great young French interior designer/architect, Jean-Louis Deniot. Rizzoli, the top of the top, is the publisher. It features super-refined interiors and chic addresses in Paris, Chicago, Chantilly, the Touraine, and Los Angeles, city and country, all with great dash and daring, calm intelligence, and individuality. Jean-Louis is classically trained--and has wonderfully worldly clients. September 19 is the publication date. It's posted on Amazon now (with a former cover). I've been working on this book--282 pages--for three years, and I'm looking forward to introducing you to the ideas, inspirations, knowledge, insight, expert concepts, sources and resources and historical references of Jean-Louis Deniot. His talent is brilliant and blazing. Pages gave extensive information. Click over to AMAZON (click on the cover image), and learn more. It's a beautiful book, superbly designed by Paul McKevitt, who designed all of my earlier Rizzoli books ('Anne Getty Interior Style', 'Orlando Diaz-Azcuy', 'Santa Barbara Living', and Michael S. Smith Elements of Style' and many others. Cheers. See you on the pages.

ANN GETTY INTERIOR STYLE, my new 240-page book, was published by Rizzoli mid October. I've been working on it privately for several years—and I am so happy with the beautiful production..with velvety paper and elegant printing. Lisa Romerein produced new photography, and Paul McKevitt of Subtitle New York (who has designed my previous five Rizzoli books) is the accomplished art director. Early comments: 'Congrats on the book. It's gorgeous', James Reginato. 'It's the design book of the season', Jennifer Boles, The Peak of Chic blog. Holly Moore the great editor-in-chief of PAPERCITY in Houston and Dallas said, ' It is the most beautiful book out this fall'.

FRIENDS AND STYLE SEEKERS: DO JOIN US--AND SCROLL DOWN AND JOIN THOUSANDS OF DISCERNING SUBSCRIBERS

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Every feature written and photo for The Style Saloniste remains and is findable in the Archive below. Among the most searched and popular stories and interviews are: John Dickinson, Paris travel, India travel, Dodie Rosekrans and her house, my ‘Jet Set Survival’ tips, Paris designer Jean-Louis Deniot, Denise Hale, and many designers and talents too fabulous to mention. Type in your search request in the box below and enjoy this treasure trove.

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"Hello Diane

What a wonderful write up!

I'm currently on the train from London to Brussels....travelling thru Europe for more treasures!

Brilliant, effortless elegant writing......you are an observer and an explorer of life, beauty and elegance as a traveler...to freeze the moment in time , to live and feel life — a road less traveled - very few people are true travelers...

"Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.” – C.G. Jung

I wish you a late Happy New Year,"Tavarua" The Traveler

"I had to drop by and say this is just a terrific post on Nicholas Haslam. Of course, I'm biased, but it made me admire him even more." --Colette van der Thillart, associate of Nicholas Haslam, NH-Design, London."Dear Diane,

Magical and sublime...two words that describe both the Taj Lake Palace AND this blog post. Next week's post can't come soon enough."Sending you warmest wishes,Jennifer, Jennifer Boles, The Peak of Chic blog, Atlanta

As always, you inform, inspire and enrapture. India is very much on my list and seeing it here through your discerning and sensitive eye makes it all the more enthralling.Thank you as ever,Franceswww.FrancesSchultz.com

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"Your blog is too long. I can't read that much text on screen. I love it but I have to print it out."– Pamela Babey, interior designer, San Francisco

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–Kaye Heafey, founder, Chalk Hill Clematis, California

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Marlene Gidaro, Sacramento, California

"Thank you so much for your Picasso post. It was like a mini art lesson. Incredible." – Pigtown Design blog, Baltimore

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"Dear Diane, I have been following your blog since you began it and am always so pleasantly surprised by how much I see and learn each time, and by how well written all your posts are. It is clear that you are not just dashing them off between other more important obligations. it is a pleasure whenever I see you in my Inbox. It is like getting a letter from a really good friend who values my intelligence and my opinion. Thank you!" –Margot von Muhlendahl, Munich

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"My dear, I'm utterly dazzled by this post! Food, style, interior, elegance, art...it's most insightful! I love the hotels you selected for us. I feel completely uplifted. Whenever I read your blog, I've always felt that I'm in good hands. Yes, we can rely on your impeccable taste!! Many thanks."

– A Super Dilettante blog, UK

Diane, I thought I was brave traveling alone to some of the places I've been; but you have me beat...in spades! --Julieta, Lindaraxa blog, Georgia, US.

Diane: Your posts are always so well written and informative except I've never understood your lack of proofing before posting. Someone with your expertise must want the very best in their work to be presented. The lack of proofing before you post simply detracts from what is otherwise the finest out there. I proof for a living and notice such things but feel certain others do too. Content and subjects are excellent! — Rebecca Hively